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Slow Cooker White Wine Chicken Stew

Slow Cooker White Wine Chicken Stew with tender chicken thighs and a golden wine broth. Low-and-slow braising with mushrooms, pearl onions, carrots, and fresh thyme makes a thick, spoonable stew ready for crusty bread dipping.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 520

Ingredients
  

chicken thighs
  • 6 bone-in chicken thighs
vegetables
  • 2 cup cremini mushrooms halved
  • 1 cup pearl onions fresh or frozen
  • 3 carrots sliced
  • 4 garlic minced
stew base
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 sprig fresh thyme 2 sprigs
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary 1 sprig
thickener and finishing
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water for slurry
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter added at end
  • 0.5 fresh parsley for serving
  • 0.5 crusty bread for serving
seasoning
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Season and load the slow cooker
  1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then place them in the slow cooker with the mushrooms, pearl onions, carrots, and garlic. Make sure the vegetables sit around the chicken for even cooking.
Add the white wine braising liquid
  1. Whisk together the white wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, and Dijon mustard, then pour over the chicken. The liquid should cover most of the chicken and vegetables for best braising.
Add herbs and cook low
  1. Add the thyme and rosemary sprigs on top of the stew, then cover and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours (or High for 3 to 4 hours) until the chicken is very tender. You should be able to pull the chicken apart with a fork.
Thicken the stew
  1. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the stew, then cook on High for 20 minutes until thickened. The broth should coat the back of a spoon and look glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Remove the herb sprigs, then stir in the unsalted butter until melted and fully incorporated. Season again with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with fresh parsley and crusty bread.

Notes

For deeper flavor, brown the chicken thighs in a hot skillet for 2–3 minutes per side before adding to the slow cooker (optional). Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave, adding a splash of broth if needed to loosen. Freezing is not recommended because the wine-thickened broth can change texture when thawed, but you can freeze portions of the chicken and vegetables separately if desired. For a lighter option, use low-sodium chicken broth and reduce the butter by half at the end.